On Thursday, August 5th, several members of our News Desk staff participated in a 2021 fantasy football mock draft with the following format:

• Roster: 1QB/2RB/3WR/1TE/1FLX/5BN
• 12-Team, 0.5 PPR, Snake Format

The results are shown below and each writer was later asked to answer questions about their draft strategy, in addition to what lessons they took away from this mock draft.

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Final Draft Board

Projected Standings

Q1. What was your draft strategy entering the mock, and were you able to execute it? 

I knew that I wanted to stick with my “Running Back Dead Zone” brand, but I suddenly had a tough decision to make at the 1/2 turn. RBs were being gobbled up in Round 1, so I pivoted to taking Travis Kelce and Stefon Diggs. I really like this start, but it meant that I had to reach for David Montgomery at the 3/4 turn. This was okay as I later double-tapped Dead Zone targets Ja’Marr Chase and Odell Beckham Jr, before loading up on running back and wideout depth. When you more or less punt running backs early on, your team won’t grade out well in mocks. That’s okay. I’m confident that if we played this season out I’d be highly competitive.
– Brendan Tuma (@toomuchtuma)

I was pretty disappointed to draw the second overall pick. This year I definitely want to pick first or be towards the back end of Round 1, so my strategy immediately shifted. I know in the second round, I’d be choosing between the 12th or 13th best wide receiver – depending on personal preference – or Darren Waller and Patrick Mahomes/Josh Allen. I decided to go that route. I am a firm believer in having one of the elite tight ends or quarterbacks this year because of the positional advantage it provides over the rest of your league. By going with Allen and Waller, I now have two big-time advantages at these positions. It wasn’t what I had in mind, but I believe it’s important that you don’t allow your fellow draftees dictate how you draft your team. A bunch of wide receivers came off the board between my second overall pick and my 23rd overall pick, so I decided to zag.
– Rob Lorge (@RobFFAddict)

Drafting from the 1.04 spot, I was given the luxury of drafting Alvin Kamara. He’s an elite fantasy RB because he was so heavily targeted by Drew Brees in 2020, turning 107 targets into 83 receptions for 756 yards and five touchdowns. Despite Brees’ retirement and Taysom Hill battling with Jameis Winston for QB1 in New Orleans, drafting Kamara was the obvious choice. Another Kamara-type player who fell to me at 2.09 was Pittsburgh rookie running back Najee Harris, who projects to be in store for a 300+ touch season as the unquestioned RB1 on a team with a dynamic passing attack and a new offensive coordinator. Starting RB/RB with three WR spots in the lineup was a bit risky since targets reign supreme, however, Allen Robinson was available at 3.04, a bonafide WR1 who has shown time and time again that his elite receiving ability transcends mediocre quarterback play. Going running back heavy early forced me to lean into a deep pool of talented WR2s, which yielded Cooper Kupp (4.09) and Chase Claypool (6.09) to fill out the three WR spots in my lineup. Dual-threat quarterbacks with rushing upside are immensely valuable in fantasy, which is why I used a fifth round pick to draft QB Kyler Murray. By opting to wait on addressing the tight end position, I took Noah Fant at 7.04 but could’ve waited a few more rounds to grab Tyler Higbee or Mike Gesicki. I would’ve rather selected Tyler Boyd, DeVonta Smith, or Brandin Cooks as my Flex/WR4 to build more depth at the most important position in half-PPR formats. By closing out the final six rounds with equal depth distribution (3 WRs/2 RBs/1TE) to form my bench, I’m satisfied with the RB/RB/WR/WR/QB strategy I deployed, particularly because I managed to land two target-hound running backs and two top wide receivers in Robinson and Kupp. Drafting Murray in the fifth-round was exactly the way I strategized drafting from the 1.04.
– Matt MacKay (@Matt_MacKay_)

I had the fifth pick, which put me in an interesting spot. The top four running backs quickly went off the board — CMC, Cook, Henry, Kamara. So, I was debating on Zeke, Saquon Barkley, or TravisKelce. I always want a workhorse running back to start a draft so I went with Zeke. I hoped I was in the back half of the draft so I could draft two stud running backs, but I feel like I got two anyways with Zeke and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. For the most part, my draft strategy went smoothly, but I did have some picks I wish I could’ve had back. Overall, I liked my team.
– Connor Rigg (@ConbonNFL)

Based on the mock drafts I’ve been completing recently, I really love targeting WRs in the 4th-6th rounds, so I wanted to ensure I had a solid RB (or TE) foundation before then. As such, taking three strong RB1 candidates with my initial picks, set me up positively for later. Ultimately, my initial strategy and subsequent adaptations led to a very well-rounded team filled with league-winning upside.
– Jared Lese (@JaredL_FF)

Q2. What lesson did you learn from today’s mock that you will apply to future drafts you partake in?

I’ve made it no secret that I want to avoid most of the RBs in this year’s “Dead Zone.” We’ve learned in recent years that wide receiver scoring is becoming more concentrated at the top, which means that the elite options don’t give us as much of an advantage as they used to. Because of this, I probably should’ve either taken Austin Ekeler at the 1/2 turn, or just go full zero RB altogether. My preferred build in ’21 redraft leagues remains to draft an anchor RB in Round 1 before pounding wideouts and possibly mixing in an elite TE or QB. Because of this, I didn’t really like picking at the turn.
– Brendan Tuma (@toomuchtuma)

It’s crazy how deep wide receiver is and it makes sense. The NFL continues to shift towards a more pass-happy system, but it’s always surprising how many quality options there are even all the way down in round 10. The depth at wideout certainly makes drafting one of the elite tight ends or quarterbacks more viable this season, since fantasy managers can feel more confident in finding depth at receiver later on. I’m not sure I’d double up on both positions again because my wide receiver group is a little too weak for my liking, but drafting one is certainly something you can do and still form a solid wide receiver group.
– Rob Lorge (@RobFFAddict)

Being on the clock to draft a player always goes much faster than expected. Mapping out several players you like in each position group a round ahead of your next pick will provide a lot more options and less discomfort when you inevitably experience another league mate draft the player you were ready to select. If you hone in on one player you really want and he doesn’t make it back to you in the next round, having other players in different position groups identified helps save precious seconds and eliminates the tendency to “tilt”, which is known within the fantasy community as reaching for a player because you haven’t prepared for your ideal player to be taken. Failing to evaluate other position groups that may contain better options than the top suggested players in your preferred position group is a lesson I will certainly take away and apply to upcoming fantasy drafts.
– Matt MacKay (@Matt_MacKay_)

You NEED to draft running backs early or it will put you behind the eight ball. 14 running backs went before the third round and after that, I believe there is a drop-off. Hammer running backs early because wide receivers is extremely deep and easier to find breakouts and sleepers at that position as opposed to RBs.
– Connor Rigg (@ConbonNFL)

Getting RBs or TEs early and then attacking WRs and QBs during the mid-to-late rounds feels incredibly good. Getting four young WRs in rounds four through seven who had solid-or-better 2020 campaigns and could take the next step in 2021 should lead to positive results this season. However, I think this strategy only works if a D’Andre Swift, J.K. Dobbins, or one of the Tier 2 TEs (i.e., Darren Waller and George Kittle) were to fall a bit.
– Jared Lese (@JaredL_FF)

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Whether you’re new to fantasy football or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Football 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with Starting Your Own Fantasy Football League or head to a more advanced strategy – like What is the Right Amount of Risk to Absorb on Draft Day? – to learn more.